A Spark of Life Revised
by JacksDirtySecret
Summary: With government sanctioned extermination squads on their tail, a different kind of family is running out of places to run to. Will Violet be able to lead her loved ones to safety? -REWRITE OF A STORY WITH THE SAME NAME, NEW ENDING-
1. Chapter 1

A/N:

Hello all :) I'm rewriting my sequel to Blank Eyes here, not a new story. It's going to have a new ending though. It can stand alone but it pairs well with its predecessor. happy reading :)

Ohhh. And any of the hunters thoughts will be italicized.

Chapter One

They had walked and walked and walked. Finding shelter wasn't too hard, survivors had long since abandoned their homes and the infected followed their food source. It was just this incessant walking that drove Violet insane. Finding supplies in the abandoned buildings was getting harder and harder. It was especially hard when you needed something so specific as diapers. Violet had given up all pretense when it came to baby food. Estelle drank water and ate whatever they could find that could be mashed up.

After one such long day of walking, as they climbed into a small stores large walk in freezer (that, judging by the smell, had long ago stopped working), Liam asked her where they were going. They were in a freezer, in a store that looked like it had been abandoned years before the Green Flu had ever been heard of, in the middle of nowhere. He looked frustrated and tired. She understood his feelings but couldn't help but bristle at his tone. She was doing the best she could.

She contemplated his words. Where indeed? The closer they got to the Tennessee state line the, more infected they encountered. Ordinarily, that would be a problem, and she would have taken their small group in a different direction. Her eyes fell on her groups two most interesting members and she knew that the increase in active infected numbers was a good thing. More infected meant task forces hadn't yet been sent in to eliminate those stricken with the Green Flu. Hayley and Vincent were safe for now.

The hunters seemed unaware of her scrutiny as they curled up with Estelle, forming a protective dogpile around the baby. Soon, the blond, chubby girl was engulfed as she growled less than ferociously. Hayley nudged her cheek affectionately. Vincent didn't complain as Estelle crawled all over him.

Violet had yet to encounter more sentient infected, except a brief encounter with a witch and her teenage keeper months ago. She had faith that there were more out there though. After all, the Green Flu was just a virus. Humans had been fighting viruses since the origin of their species.

"We head into the mountains. It should be safe for us there. The more infected we see, the safer Hayley and Vincent are." She answered him, after a long pause.

"Yeah but as they get safer you, me and Estelle get less safe. We need to find a place to hunker down. Traveling like this leaves us vulnerable. We have maybe ten diapers left. I haven't seen a sign of civilization for miles. We need water. We need food. We nee-"

He interrupted himself by tripping over the ledge of a large metal square hidden under a burlap sack. After closer inspection Violet noted a handle with a grin. "What the hell?!" Liam cursed. "What is this thing?"

Violet smirked at him and said "This, my dear is a 'sign of civilization'. It's a bomb shelter. Lets see if we can open it. These things are generally very well stocked. In case of nuclear holocaust and such."

He gave her a strange look as he heaved up on the small door. It opened with a hiss, stale air invading their noses. Violet let out a relieved sigh. That meant it was probably empty, since a truly terrified redneck would have locked it into place. But that didn't mean she wasn't going to proceed with extreme caution. Who knew what was down there?

She certainly didn't need some heavily armed good ol' boy coming at her thinking she was a zombie or a looter. Even though, technically, she was. A looter, anyway. Hayley and Vincent were zombies though. And in a jumpy rednecks mind, she would be guilty by association. She much preferred to keep herself in one piece, bullet free.

So, she instructed everyone to stay up top as she slowly descended the metal ladder that led into the bunker. Her metallic footsteps echoed loudly and she was shocked to find herself nervous. Her heart started to pound as she shot one last look at Liam. He smiled at her, and that was all the encouragement she needed. She shook her head and disappeared into the darkness.

The bunker was colder than she expected and very dark. She shivered, goosebumps erupting on her bare arms. It took a moment for Violets eyes to adjust. Treading softly, she moved forward through the surprisingly large space. She watched sharply for any sign of movement, but saw none. She listened carefully, holding her breath, but heard nothing. She was satisfied that she was alone.

All around her were shelves stocked with canned food and other necessities. Thank God for paranoid rednecks and their survival instincts. She made a quick circle of the area and noted that everything had a thin layer of dust on it. The person that had set this shelter up must have never made it here. She felt slightly macabre when she realized she was glad. Their misfortune had proved most fortunate for her group. She called to Liam, letting him know it was safe to come down.

The hunters leapt down first , followed my Liam. Liam's flashlight beam illuminated his face briefly and Violet was struck again by just how handsome he really was. Dark brown eyes that lit up every time he smiled, dirty blond hair, that had been cropped short at one time, was becoming shaggy in an almost stylish way, tall and muscular. Thinking of his looks only made her frown when she thought of her own. Her auburn hair was, at the moment, half brown, half auburn after an impromptu dye job. What was once a stylish asymmetrical bob was now a wavy shaggy mess of all different lengths. Her green eyes were sunk into her bony face and she was rather thin. All the walking did away any curves she once had.

But then he smiled at her. When he smiled at her, Violet forgot the world, zombies and all. She had always been a very confident woman but when he looked at her, she felt absolutely amazing. Her heart would beat faster and she was overcome with the urge to kiss him until neither one of them could breathe. Violet was in love for the first time. This year had brought about a lot of changes for her. She was in love, had adopted a baby, not to mention two zombies and was in search of a safe place to set up a homestead for her whole new family. Before the infection, if someone had told her that this is how her life was going to play out, she would have offered them her psychologists card.

She was brought out of her reverie by the aforementioned baby squealing happily as Liam finally released her. She crawled to Hayley, immediately pulling the hunters hood back. She didn't seem fazed by the mutated features of the female hunter, and much preferred that the long silvery blond hair of her unlikely friend was out from the confines of the pink hoodie. She noticed that Vincent seemed pretty fond of it too, as he nuzzled his mate happily every time Estelle relieved her of her hood.

Liam closed the distance between them and planted a kiss on her cheek. Violet blushed as she giggled like a school girl. He murmured into her hair that he would love some time with her on the cot over on the other side of the room. Her blush deepened and she cursed herself for being such a twit. It wasn't as if this was her first boyfriend! But she knew that this was very different. She didn't control every aspect of this relationship. Her treacherous heart had betrayed her and given itself to this man, much to her brains dismay.

She followed him without protest as she noted Estelle was already settled in with the hunters, as had become her routine. She and Estelle shared a great bond, but Hayley and the infant were almost inseparable. Vincent accepted this without a hitch, not at all upset with having to share the attention of his mate. In fact, he seemed to have made his own attachments to the young girl. Violet watched him snuggle closer to her.

Violet was pulled onto the cot with Liam and she giggled again. She instantly cuddled up into him, resting her head into the crook of his neck. She kissed his shoulder on the spot she knew he had a large scar from a rather nasty zombie bite. Kisses wouldn't heal the physical scar but they made him sleep easier. He had terrible dreams if she wasn't holding him while he slept. She didn't mind one bit. She placed gentle kisses on his neck until she heard his breath even out. She smiled at his soft snores. He deserved a good nights sleep.

She rolled over carefully and noted that she and Vincent were the only ones awake. She slipped off the cot and secured the bunker door. Liam didn't stir. No one would be surprising them.

She sat down on the floor and Vincent disentangled himself from Estelle to come sit by her. She wrapped her arm around the hunter and started pouring her heart out. Her feelings about Liam, her fears of being found by the government, her concern for Hayley and him. He listened quietly and simply nodded his head. He had become accustomed to this nightly ritual.

_**The human enjoyed speaking to him at night. He enjoyed the attention and he enjoyed the contact. He was starting to understand some things that she told him. Lee Um was her mate, he was Vin Sin and Little One was Hay Lee. Stell was the cub. He was learning a lot from his human at night. Things were starting to make sense. Human talk was coming into focus.**_

Violet gave Vincent a kiss on the top of his head, pulling down his hood to do so. She went to comfort Liam, who was whimpering and thrashing in his sleep. As soon as she crawled into the cot, he clung to her tightly. After a few comforting kisses, he relaxed. Vincent curled around Estelle and let out a yawn. All was right in their world for now.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Violet awoke before everyone else. She was used to this by now. She felt more well rested than she had in a very long time. She lay on the cot silently, enjoying Liam's heartbeat until she heard Estelle stirring. She quickly and gently disentangled herself and went to tend to the infant. She turned on one if the many battery powered lanterns resting on one of the shelves and lit up the room. After a quick diaper change, Estelle was ready for breakfast. The hunters at her feet seemed to agree, sitting on their hunches patiently.

Violet was thankful for the crazy redneck who had stocked this place up and when she saw a can of evaporated milk she sent a silent prayer of thanks to the heavens. She put the milk into a bottle and mashed up a can of peaches the best she could. She put the juice aside for Liam, since it was his favorite. Estelle drank the milk with gusto and mowwed through the peaches. She was a very content baby.

The hunters received two cans of tuna mixed with a can of peas. They ate it quickly, Vincent giving Hayley more than her fair share. He reached up and pulled her hood back, earning him a growl. He ignored her, rubbing his face against her long blond hair. After a moment, he pulled back his own hood, and resumed his rubbing. He licked her cheek and let out a noise that sounded suspiciously like a purr. Violet rolled her eyes at the affectionate pair.

Violet thought about the day ahead. This couldn't be their permanent home. They would need somewhere that they could start farming. With no viable water sources nearby, farming wasn't an option here. They needed to find a place to stay, but she saw no harm in staying here for a while. They all needed a break from the constant walking. While they were here she wanted to look in the nearby woods. Maybe there was some wildlife she could set up a snare for. She could skin a rabbit or a squirrel. She desperately wanted fresh food. Maybe there was berries or wild asparagus. Apples even. Her mouth watered at the possibility of finding anything that wasn't mushy.

Once Liam woke up she expressed her desire to explore, and he asked if she wanted company. She declined, it was best Estelle stayed somewhere safe with one of them. If she and Liam went out and didn't make it back, Vincent and Hayley would be trapped, with no way to feed Estelle or themselves for that matter. He nodded, seeing the logic behind her polite refusal. He didn't look very happy as she went to climb up the ladder, so she blew him a kiss. He crossed the room quickly and took her in his arms. She looked up at him with wide eyes, her heart beating wildly. He kissed her and the world ceased to exist. By the time he released her, she was breathless. He gave her a half smirk and she climbed up the ladder.

The woods were eerily quiet and Violet flinched every time she snapped a twig beneath her feet. Her very light frame sounded enormous as her footsteps crunched through the dead leaves and twigs. Her caution was replaced with delight when she spotted a row of apple trees, heavy with fruit. She was really starting to love Tenessee. She quickly started filling her bag with the ripe fruit. She heard loud crunching and froze in place. The noise stopped and her paranoia kicked in. She cautiously made her way back towards the bomb shelter when she heard multiple voices shouting.

"Over here! Over this way! I saw it come this way!"

She froze in fear, not sure where to go. When someone grabbed her around the waist, she tried to scream but a hand covered her mouth. A large infected hand by the looks of it. She squirmed to get away, but froze when a group of men burst through the trees and stopped where she had been standing only seconds before. She allowed herself to be hauled further up into a tree. She watched as the men below searched. They were probably looking for whatever was holding her. She tried to move her head to see what it was, but it held her firmly in place. She stopped struggling when one of the men below them started to scream.

"We will find you beast! You will be purged from this country. The cleansing has begun!"

Violet sighed. Damn it all. They were here too. She and the strange infected stayed up in the tree for about twenty minutes after the men left. It carried her down the tree carefully and released her. She was surprised by how gently she was placed on the ground.

She swung around and found herself staring up at a very tall smoker. He was rather grotesque looking, with half his face covered in tumors and multiple tentacle-like tongues protruding from his face. She gasped. She couldn't help it. He was clearly intelligent, and wasn't aggressive. Just as she was thinking she had yet another friend to bring home, he started to walk away. She called for him to wait and he turned around and tipped his head to the side quizzically, almost as if he was asking what she wanted. She couldn't think of anything to say except to ask him what he was doing there. He hesitated, then held up a bag she hadn't noticed he was carrying.

It held apples. "You eat apples?" She blurted out. He shook his head and started moving his hands. She was floored when she realized he was using sign language. She shook her head and informed him she didn't understand. He paused then started pointing. She still didn't understand until he tapped her on the shoulder and pointed off into the distance.

He wanted her to follow him. She wasn't sure that was a great idea, but her curiosity got the best of her. Hoping Liam wouldn't get too worried, she followed the smokers long strides, careful to take note of where she was headed so she could find her way back. About twenty minutes later a cabin came into view. Hello civilization.

The cabin was beautiful. Not a shanty in the woods, a legitimate house made out of logs. It had a charming rustic look to it, complete with wrap around porch and a cute little picnic table with matching chairs. If things got any more wholesome looking, Violet thought she might don a blue and white checkered dress and some sparkly red shoes. The thought made her let out a soft snort of amusement, causing the smoker to turn its head slightly to look at her. She gave a tight lipped smile in return and put her head down, feeling a little embarrassed.

As they approached the porch, a woman appeared wielding a semi automatic rifle. Not quite so wholesome. She seemed rather cranky as she signed to the smoker rapidly, and the smoker almost looked sheepish as he replied. His shoulders slumped and he hung his head. Whatever he had said seemed to surprise the woman since she was now staring at Violet intently. She interrupted Violets attempt at a polite greeting with a very blunt question.

"Ryder says you're traveling with at least two infected. Where are they?"

Violet was taken aback. Ryder? That had to be the smokers name, but how could he know who she was traveling with? Had he been tracking them? "Safe." Violet answered simply. Her tone indicated that she was done with this topic. She certainly wasn't going to tell a stranger where her family was hidden.

The woman didn't seem irked by her vague response. She just nodded her head. "You'll want to bring them here. I have much to discuss and very little time. Ryder says you both were almost caught by Purists."

"Purists?" Violet questioned. Is that what the crazy men who killed the infected called themselves?

The woman snorted derisively. "You mean you haven't had the pleasure of being ranted at? It's a large group of people seeking out the special infected to 'purge our great nation'. Their words, not mine. They're killing every infected they see. They don't care that I'm so close or that my sons aren't a danger to anyone. And they're the monsters? These are people god dammit!"

Violet remained silent. Ryder, the smoker was this woman's son? Interesting. The man who had tried to kill her in Georgia must have been a Purist. What was she close to? It was good to know she wasn't the only one who realized these were people. Should she bring her family here? The woman didn't seem dangerous. But who could gauge real danger these days? She was living with two of the most "dangerous" creatures on the planet and she felt perfectly safe with them.

"I have to go get my family." Violet declared. The woman nodded and held out her hand and Violet took it immediately. Mother to mother, a silent respect could be sensed between them. They shook hands firmly.

Violet quickly made her way back to the bunker. She was quick but she wasn't careless. The Purists could still be in the area. She tapped on the door with her pistol three times. There was a brief pause before two taps responded to hers. She tapped three more times and the door was popped open. Liam wrapped his arms around her as soon as she climbed down the ladder. Violet sighed happily. "Hey baby." Liam whispered, his breath hot on her ear.

"Hey there handsome." She purred, standing up on her toes to place a kiss to his jaw. "Guess what I found in the woods?" She quickly explained what had happened and he pulled her to him.

"That was too close. I don't want you going anywhere without me anymore Vi." He insisted.

"Do you want to go to the cabin?" She asked. "I think it's safe."

"As long as we're all together, I don't care where we are." Liam said with a smile, kissing her temple.

She quickly started packing up necessary supplies and food while Liam got Estelle dressed. The baby growled playfully and chewed on his arm happily. He blew a raspberry onto the little girls cheek and Violet couldn't help but smile at the delighted scream the baby made.

After she was sure that they had everything that they would need, she set to coaxing Vincent up the metal ladder. After a few minor mishaps, he was outside and Violet looked at Hayley expectantly. The female hunter growled in displeasure and simply leapt to the top of the ladder, her hind end wiggling as she pulled herself through the hatch.

They quickly made their way back to the cabin. Hayley and Vincent were happy to be outside and clambered up trees and leapt in the tree tops, shrieking to one another. Estelle whined, wanting to be with Hayley. Violet soothed her with a smile, letting her know that when she was bigger she could climb trees too.

When they arrived at the clearing and the cabin came into view, the hunters lept from the trees noiselessly. Violet admired their stealth skills, especially Vincent, whose mere size made any amount of stealth impressive. The hunters moved fluidly, in sync with one another. They were incredible to watch. They appeared as if they had practiced their movements.

Suddenly, Vincent froze and a growl rumbled through his entire body. Hayley lifted her head to scent the air, then took a defensive posture in front of Violet and Estelle. A hysterical giggle was heard just before Vincent let out a snarl and leapt into the air.

Everything happened so quickly, Violet wasn't sure what had actually occurred. One second, Vincent was jumping and the next he was tumbling with a very large Jockey. The Jockey seemed to have the upper hand, as it had latched onto Vincent's head and was riding him around the clearing. It would have been comical if it weren't so awful. In the struggle Vincent's hood had been pulled back and the bright light was clearly agonizing for him. The jockey was clawing and biting at his exposed skin viciously while Hayley circled angrily. With no notice, the jockey was yanked off of an agonized Vincent. He howled in rage and pulled his hood back into place. Hayley went over to comfort him, but he brushed her off with a snarl.

Violet was amazed to see Ryder with his tongue wrapped around the neck of the jockey, pulling him in close. Once his tongue had retracted enough, he released the jockey and grabbed him by his spindley little arms. He held him at arms length and waited for his mother to come out of the house. She took one look at the squirming jockey and admonished him in a very stern voice "Kayden James you know better! Look what you did! You scared our guests!" She called out to Violet apologetically. "I'm so sorry! Is everyone okay?"

She closed the distance between herself and Violet, only stopping when Hayley let out a warning growl. Violet gently nudged her aside, much to her displeasure. She was placated when Violet sat Estelle down by her. She nuzzled the infant and stood over her protectively, growling softly. Vincent sat down next to his mate, his growl much more threatening.

"We'll hello again. I see you brought your group. I'm glad you decided to return. I see that your infected and my youngest son have met as well." The woman said, indicating the jockey with a sigh.

"They're both your sons?" Liam blurted out, then looked embarrassed.

The woman nodded with a sad smile. "My only daughter got sick too but she didn't retain her sanity. I had to put her out of her misery. My boys are okay though. I'm Anna by the way." She offered her hand to Liam.

"It's nice to meet you Anna. I'm Liam, this is Estelle, Violet, Hayley and Vincent." He pointed to each person as he introduced them before taking her small hand.

"We'll, let's get you all inside before the Purists make their way back here. Four special infected in one place would be like shooting fish in a barrel. I promise my boys will behave, I hope your friends will too."

Violet assured Anna that everyone would be on their best behavior. As they headed into the house, Violet observed the woman that they were putting their trust in.

She had a slight build. Her silver hair was pulled back into a bun. Her bright blue eyes were the same shade as Estelle's. She wore jeans and a sweatshirt. Her laugh lines only accented her sharp features. This woman had aged beautifully but the bags under her eyes were a dead giveaway that this woman was exhausted. Weren't they all though?


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

The house was beautiful inside. A large tan sectional couch and a glass coffee table greeted them as they walked through the door, into a small entryway. To the left was a large kitchen with a round wooden table and four chairs. To the right was a hallway. Cozy and quaint, Violet admired the decor. There were family portraits lining the walls, along dried flower arrangements.

Anna sat down on the sectional, tucking her legs beneath her. She motioned for everyone to join her. Violet and Liam joined her on the couch, while Hayley and Vincent opted to settle down on the floor with Estelle. Liam wrapped his arm around Violet and gave her a reassuring squeeze. She gave him a small smile in return. Kayden scrambled onto the couch next to his mother, while Ryder opted to stand behind the couch and observe. Every time he moved Hayley let out a low growl. She wasn't happy about him at all. Anna seemed very interested in Hayley.

"Forgive me for staring but I have never seen a female hunter before." She answered Violets unspoken question. "I've seen a few female specials, but never hunters. I've never seen female jockeys or smokers either. Of course I've never seen male witches or male spitters for that matter."

Violet agreed. She listened as Anna went on to explain all the special infected, uncommon infected and common infected she had learned about or encountered. Violet was amazed. Some of these Violet had never seen or heard of.

"A smoker, as you can see on Ryder here, is always incredibly tall. Ryder was six two, now he's seven three. Half of their face is covered in these bumps and boils. When the boils are burst, a thick putrid smelling smoke comes out. It seems fluid while the boils are intact so I'm under the impression a chemical reaction happens when that particular fluid hits the air and forms the smoke. He has grown several tongue like appendages on his face, although he has limited control over them, save for the tongue that's in his mouth. He has expert control over that tongue and can use it to snare a target. It retracts and can be expelled from his mouth in a manner not dissimilar to frogs. We have established a twenty three foot reach. Smokers are expert climbers, with only hunters exceeding them in skill. Ryder's strength has increased tenfold, he can easily lift this couch with me on it.

Jockeys are clearly physically mutated to a serious degree. Kayden was just over six feet tall and now stands around three feet tall. His arms have lengthened and it appears that his spine fused into this permanent hump. He was a quiet somber young man before infection and now is the opposite. He is rarely quiet, even when sleeping. He is constantly fidgeting and jumps around rather than walking or crawling. He's very excitable and very aggressive. He can leap incredibly high, deceptively so in accordance to his current height. As you saw previously, when he attacks, he leaps onto the head and shoulders of his target and attacks that area by clawing and biting. His strength is decent, relative to his size.

Chargers, I've been told, are large brutes. They're mutated physically of course, with one arm much larger than normal. This is their weapon of choice, as they charge at a person like a bull, snatching them up with his enormous arm and bowling over anyone too close. He will carry his victim a short distance before repeatedly slamming the ground. This will continue until the victim is killed or someone kills the charger. They don't let go until their victim is dead, and sometimes they continue the brutalization of the corpse some time after death.

Hunters, as I am sure you're aware, are very animalistic. They travel alone or in groups. They all seem to prefer to keep their faces covered, to an almost comical extent. Before I had to put him down I came across a hunter wearing nothing but a pair of boxers and a lady's sunhat. I think their eyes are sensitive to light. I have yet to see one walk upright, and they are incredible jumpers. They remind me of lions on the national geographic channel, leaping and screeching before they lock onto their victim in a furious slashing of claws. Their teeth seem to be a secondary but effective means of taking down prey."

Anna paused her informative lecture when Vincent moved closer to her and stood up on his hind legs. He was well over six feet tall, and cut an impressive figure. Kayden giggled, while Ryder tensed and quickly scrambled over the couch to stand in front of his mother.

"Vincent!" Violet hissed. "You're scaring them." She sent Anna and apologetic smile. "He's only trying to help."

"That's quite alright." Anna said, standing to examine Vincent. She carefully reached for his hand before she paused. "May I?" She asked. Vincent just tilted his head to the side.

"I wouldn't." Liam warned. "He's sensitive sometimes."

"Perhaps some other time then." Anna said as Vincent settled back onto the floor. "Where was I? Oh yes. Spitters." She settled back into the couch.

"Spitters are female infected. They tend to be scantily clad, for which I have no reason. Their neck and lower jaw are their biggest mutation, the latter being unhinged leaving their mouth open at all times. Their necks are elongated to ridiculous proportions. Their weapon is peculiar. It appears to be severely mutated stomach acid that they spit at their victims. This acid is extremely corrosive and causes rapid damage to anything it touches. It does seem to evaporate after a short time though, which would indicate alcohol of some sort being a component. They don't have any skills to be noted, other than the ability to spit great distances.

Boomers are hard to miss. Large rotund and bloated, these infected move quickly for their size. I have seen males and females, although males seem more common. They, like spitters, have only one notable trait. They vomit on their victim. This vomit not only blinds the victim temporarily, it attracts common infected like a moth to a flame. So while the vomit does no actual damage to the victim, it's nothing to sneeze at. Another interesting note is that boomers explode when struck. Not in the normal sense either. It's almost pressurized, shaking the ground and casting more bile. So it's best to keep your distance.

The witch is an infected I have encountered once and hope to never meet again. On our way up from Tallahassee, one of our group heard crying. So of course we stopped and investigated. My brother-in-law saw her first, sobbing in the corner with her face in her hands. She wailed sounding so forlorn, so human. As he got close we heard growling. Thinking a hunter was close, he moved quickly to grab her arm. Before any of us could move, she was screaming and slashing him with these horrible talons... We killed her but it was too late... He was shredded. We couldn't even stop to bury him. Who knows what happened?"

Anna choked on her words, letting out a shuddering sigh. Ryder placed his enormous hand on her shoulder, his face impassive. Anna looked up at her son with a sad smile and Violet was struck by how strong their bond must be. To survive trials, tribulations, a plague that nearly wiped out humanity.

Violet scooped up Estelle and nuzzled the small girl, her hear hurting for reasons she didn't quite understand. She was rewarded with a giggle and a less than intimidating growl. She gazed at the infant. This child would never know the world Violet had known. She would grow up strong, fighting for every day. But was that so bad? She had a family that loved her. As strange as their group was, love bound them together.

Violet smiled at Anna and explained just how their family had gotten together. Anna was amused to hear that it had started with her and Vincent. She was delighted to have a child in the house, remarking that she had always wanted grandchildren. Kayden whined at the remark and Hayley hissed at him.

He giggled and hopped down to press his nose to hers. Vincent bristled and snarled , but didn't move. Hayley drew her lips back in a snarl but he just giggled in response. He pulled her hood back and froze as her long blond hair spilled out. He clearly wasn't expecting that. He hopped backwards, chirping nervously.

Liam let out a laugh. "Blonds are trouble man, better watch out." He advised the wary jockey. Kaydens head bobbed enthusiastically, as if he was in agreement. Anna smiled at the exchange. Violet knew exactly how she felt. Liam needed male companionship, even if the other males were zombies.

Anna stared at Violet for a long moment before announcing, "I have something to show you and your husband." Liam looked startled at the title but no one corrected Anna. This was probably as close to marriage as anyone was going to get, in light of recent events.

They followed her, silently, to a flight of stairs that Violet could only assume led to the basement. They headed down the stairs and what waited for them was completely unexpected. Violet looked around, taking in everything before her.

An entire lab was in Anna's basement, complete with metal table and medical instruments. Large metal cages lined the far wall, and everything had a distinctly... Hospital-esque smell. Violets fingers brushed against her pistols, as she wondered what madness she had wandered into. Liam wrapped his arm around her waist to reassure her and gave her a small smile. Anna rolled her eyes.

"Relax, I'm a veterinarian. This is my clinic, this home belonged to my grandfather before me. He was also a vet." The matronly woman assured her in a bored tone.

Violet just stared. Why did she want to show them her clinic? She certainly didn't expect to keep Vincent and Hayley in one of those cages? They were harmless. Maybe they should go back to the bunker?

"I've been doing a lot of blood work for Ryder and Kayden. I've been trying to figure out what exactly in their bodies made them susceptible to the disease while I remained unaffected. To me the infection appears to be very similar to rabies. I've been working on a cure." Anna explained, unaware of Violets sudden trepidation.

"A cure for what? The infection? How is that possible? Wouldn't a vaccine be more beneficial?" Liam questioned rapidly. "Even if you cure the virus, the physical mutations would likely remain." He hypothesized.

Anna was quiet for a long time. She just stared into space sadly. "I want my sons back. I can't just sit here not knowing. Do either of you know their life expectancy? It can't be good. Ryder is in constant pain, he can hardly breathe. Kayden can't even tell me what's wrong with him but I imagine he's in the same boat. How long will your hunters live? Diseases like rabies spread and mutate quickly. How long before we start to get sick, because whatever's making us immune is bypassed by a mutation in the infection? Curing the ill will help contain the infection while a vaccine is developed. I'm just a vet. I haven't even been able to test my cure. I can't risk hurting my sons." She said after a moment.

"Well you aren't testing it on Hayley or Vincent!" Liam snapped, aghast.

Anna held up her hand. "You misunderstand me. I was asking for your help in capturing a special infected, alive. My attempts have been disastrous. My sons go into a full on rage. They cannot control themselves once the other special infected are around and I'm not physically able to capture one. With the Purists roaming around, it's even more difficult. If I could capture a test subject I know I could make the cure!" She plead with the young couple softly.

Violet was stunned as she took in the enormity of Anna's claim. A cure meant Vincent and Hayley could have their lives back. Everyone could have their lives back. But what Liam had said rang true to her. The physical mutations were drastic and would likely remain. She couldn't imagine that getting rid of a virus would suddenly cause Kayden to revert back to normal, let alone Hayley or Vincent.

Catching a special infected would be tricky. She had never put thought into trying to keep a zombie. She only wanted to keep them AWAY. But it wouldn't be impossible. In a way, it would be like big game hunting. People paid thousands of dollars to hunt dangerous game, like lions or jaguar. This was basically the same thing. With zombies.

"Why a special? Why not just a common?" Liam asked suddenly, looking thoughtful.

Anna frowned. "I've developed this cure using data I got from my boys, commons are totally different. Another smoker would be ideal. Kayden can't really abide by needles, so I have only the barest amount of information on him." She admitted.

Violet nodded her head. "We can try." She declared. Liam nodded his agreement. "We want to help. But we need a plan."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

Plan they did. Violet and Ryder began tracking the nearby special infected by placing canned meat in the woods around the cabin. She would rub up against a tree and Ryder would place the open can high up in the tree. They wanted to make sure that they weren't attracting commons.

Anna, Liam and Kayden started developing a tranquilizer that would work on special infected. Vincent and Kayden were the reluctant test subjects, while Hayley and Estelle spent their days rolling and playing. Hayley would whimper when the veterinarian injected her mate, and Vincent would give a low rumble, as if assuring her that he was okay.

Anna finally found a combination that knocked all the infected out fairly quickly. Ryder and Vincent required a larger dose, but it worked. Anna stared at the unconscious infected around her with a triumphant smile. Hayley whined unhappily, nudging at Vincent. When he didn't wake up she curled up around him and pulled back his hood. She licked his cheek and nuzzled his neck.

Liam approached her slowly and patted her her on the head awkwardly.

"He's okay. Just sleeping. I promise I wouldn't let anything happen to him." He assured her in a low voice. He turned to Anna.

"So how do we do this? Do you have a tranquilizer gun to take them down?" Liam asked.

Anna snorted in reply. "I'm a veterinarian, not a game warden. You'll have to get close enough to get him with a syringe I'm afraid. I know that's risky but we have to work with the tools we have."

Violet grimaced. That was way too close for comfort. But she knew it had to be done.

"Where is the best place to inject them?" She asked Anna.

"The neck, if you can. But anywhere that isn't protected by bone. I don't recommend the head or face." Anna suggested.

Liam objected the whole time she packed up supplies. He didn't want her to go. He would go. Violet just smiled and continued to pack. He was sweet, but he knew damn well that she was faster than him. Speed was imperative on this mission.

"Please be careful." He begged her quietly, his hands cupping her face. "We need you. I need you."

"I promise I will be." She insisted.

She kissed him goodbye and he clung to her. She smiled and pulled away reluctantly. She and Ryder set out and she turned her head to smile at Liam again. He smiled back and waved. She fought back a giggle. She loved him.

Ryder moved so quickly, Violet had to jog lightly to keep up with his long strides. He was eerily quiet. For someone that size, he moved with a practiced grace that left Violet feeling like a small, noisy elephant. She knew he was aware of how loud she sounded, because every so often he would glance at her with his one good eye and shake his head.

Ryder seemed to know where he was going, so she just followed his lead. When he stopped, she froze, waiting for his instructions. He held up his hand and vanished. She whipped her head around to see him scrambling into a tree. What the hell? Was there something in the tree? She squinted, but saw nothing.

Her unspoken question was soon answered by a low growl. She had been in their company long enough to know a hunter when she heard one. She brought out her pistol clumsily and back peddled, painfully aware how loud she was. She scanned the area with panicked eyes. She hated how fast her heart was beating. A loud shriek erupted from behind her and she whipped around just in time to see a big hunter pounce on her.

She flew back, slamming onto the ground, with a scream of her own. The hunter was large, maybe the same size as Vincent. He wore a dark blue hoodie, and it appeared that he had tattered boxing tape around his wrists. She struggled desperately to shove him off her, but the end result was little more than a desperate wiggle, that didn't even budge him. He was like a lead weight resting on her chest. His claws were dug in deeply by her collarbone. He didn't slash at her though. He just growled, pulling his lips back in a snarl as he sniffed at her. He could probably smell Vincent. She could certainly smell him. The scent of rotting meat rolled off of him in waves and made Violet sick.

He rumbled his displeasure and shrieked as a tongue wrapped around his chest, just under his arms. He was lifted off of her and she hissed as his claws were dislodged. He screeched and struggled angrily, desperately swiping at her, but she was just out of his reach. Violet took a deep breath before stabbing a syringe into his thrashing leg. He struggled a bit longer, but quickly lost consciousness. He went completely limp.

Ryder released the sleeping hunter and retracted his tongue just in time for Violet to punch him in the chest as hard as she could. He flinched but didn't move otherwise. He blinked at her while she searched for the right words.

"I AM NOT BAIT ASSHOLE!" She screamed at him. She visibly shook and hated it. She took deep breaths, trying to steady herself.

He waited for her to calm down. Then he patted her on the shoulder awkwardly, before scooping up the snoring hunter at their feet. With a nod if his head, he began to walk towards the cabin swiftly. Violet had to full on run to keep up with him now.

They got close to the cabin when Ryder stopped suddenly. He lifted his head and sniffed audibly. He unceremoniously dropped his sleeping burden and bolted towards the cabin at a speed Violet could never hope to match. It was then that she noticed that the front door was wide open. She started to run after Ryder, her heart pounding in her ribs.

Violet slowed to a cautious walk as she approached the open door. The house was way too quiet, void of Kaydens usually chatter and giggles. She drew her gun and padded into the kitchen as quietly as she could.

Time froze for Violet. She just stood in place and stared. Flat on his back, arms and legs spread wide, lay Liam. His neck was a gaping wound. Blood had pooled by his head, the crimson puddle looking fresh. His throat had been slit. His brown eyes were wide open, staring at her lifelessly. She let out a dry sob. Not Liam. She began to shake violently. "Estelle!" She cried out, racing out of the room. She flew up the stairs, two at a time.

A soft scream escaped her when she saw the carnage in the bedroom. Kayden had been ambushed. The young jockey had been hacked at with, what Violet could only assume was, a machete. He had been decapitated, and one of his long arms was removed at the elbow. There was so much blood, everywhere.

Violet felt sick. She stumbled down the stairs and to the basement. Ryder was kneeling in the middle of the clinic cradling his mothers body in his long arms, moaning softly. Anna had a single gunshot wound right between her eyes. She had been executed. The smoker held his mother and almost looked as if he was praying.

Behind him, in one of the large cages was Vincent. He lifted his head and whimpered for her weakly. She rushed over to him, fumbling with the lock. Finally, she threw open the cage and pulled him out. Behind him, Hayley cowered, looking uninjured. Vincent had eight bullet wounds. Violet began to cry when she realized that Vincent must have shielded Hayley with his body when they were being shot at. Hayley shot out of the cage, growling and shrieking as she tore up the stairs. She must be going to the baby.

"Ryder! Help me! Please!" She begged the smoker desperately. "I need him on the table. Please!"

The smoker, very carefully, placed his mother onto the floor. He gingerly lifted Vincent up and placed him on the metal table in the center of the room. Vincent let out a scream of pain that sounded terrifyingly human.

Violet tore through the metal cupboards, looking for any medical supplies that would help her. Ryder returned to his mother, lifting her body into his arms carefully. He walked up the stairs slowly.

Violet approached Vincent and carefully injected him with tranquilizer Anna had concocted.

"I'm going to help you sweetie. But you don't want to be awake for it." She told him. He was out by the time she finished her sentence.

She cringed as she set to work digging out all the bullets. She couldn't believe he had been shot so many times with so little damage. The wounds themselves were very shallow. She swabbed over each wound with hydrogen peroxide and covered them large band aids.

She walked upstairs and called for Hayley and Estelle. The hunter appeared in the doorway, alone. She whimpered mournfully.

"Hayley where is the baby?!" Violet asked in alarm. The infected girl hung her head and whined. Violet ran through the entire house, screaming Estelle's name. The baby and all her belongings were gone.

Ryder approached her, moving his hands quickly, trying to communicate. She just stared at him wild eyed and screamed that she didn't understand. He gripped her arms tightly before stalking to the kitchen. He returned with a pen and paper. After a solid minute of scribbling, he thrust the paper at her.

"Took baby." Was written, in shaky script.

"Who took the baby?" She yelled. The smoker hissed irritably before writing another message.

"Purists"

Violet ran her fingers through her hair. "Do you know where they are?" The smoker shook his head.

Violet sank onto the couch sadly. "What are we going to do?" She whispered. "Vincent is hurt. Liam is..." She trailed off, a sob rising in her throat. "I need to bury him." She whimpered.

Ryder wrote again. "Done. My family 2." He looked incredibly sad. He must have done that while she patched up Vincent.

"I'm so sorry." She whispered. He sat on the couch next to her and she hugged him awkwardly. He returned the embrace after a moment. They sat like that for a few minutes before Ryder broke away to write another note.

"Cure me."

Violet blinked up at the tall young man. "I can't Ryder. Only your mom knew how." She told him sadly.

"Cure done. Need test." He scrawled quickly.

"We don't know if it will work. It could kill you." She protested, as he pulled her to her feet. He led her to the basement where Vincent was just starting to wake up.

The hunter looked up at her sleepily and growled at the sight of Ryder's hand on her arm. He looked so strange without his hoodie. More vulnerable somehow. He was covered in blood and grime and she felt awful.

"It's okay buddy." She soothed, stroking the hunters cheek. "I'm going to give Ryder a shot, then I'm going to clean you up."

She turned back to Ryder, who handed her a syringe and a small glass vial. "Are you sure you want to do this?" She asked as he slipped off his sweatshirt. He nodded. She sighed and drew up enough of the liquid to fill half the syringe. She cringed, hoping it wasn't too much. The last thing she wanted to do was kill Anna's only living son with an overdose. She carefully stuck the needle in Ryder's arm and pushed the plunger down. He hissed sharply, but didn't pull away until she removed the needle from his arm.

Hayley butted her head against Violets thigh. Violet looked down as Hayley stood up on two feet awkwardly. She held out her arm to Violet, her palm upturned.

"Oh Hayley, no. You don't want that." Violet told her, wetting a cloth she found by the sink. She began to wash Vincent carefully, when Hayley thrust her arm at Violet again. She grumbled as she did so. Violet stared at the female hunter for a long time.

"Okay. Let me wash up Vincent, then I'll give you the shot. I can't make any promises." She told her.

She washed Vincent carefully. He looked almost human like this. His skin was tinged with gray and his physical mutations were there, yet... She could still see the man he had once been. She resolved to dose him with the cure too. He deserved that chance.

A few hours later, they were all resting in the living room. The hunters had reacted to the injection a little more violently than Ryder. Vincent had bellowed and swiped at her, cutting into her arm. He was immediately contrite, rubbing against her apologetically. Violet assured him that he was forgiven. Vincent and Hayley lay on the floor by the couch and slept.

She curled up on the couch and sobbed quietly. Liam was gone. Someone had taken her daughter. She had no way of knowing where they had taken her. She sobbed until she fell asleep. She didn't awaken for many hours, when she heard a strange noise.

She bolted upright into a defensive position, noting that the hunters hadn't even moved. She quickly scanned for the threat before her eyes rested on Ryder. He was curled up on the floor in a ball, whimpering softly. He was obviously in a great deal of pain. She immediately made her way to him and wrapped her arms around him. He clung to her, his breathing ragged.

They spent the rest of the night that way. The smoker whimpered and sobbed as the drug in his system started to work. Violet comforted him the best she could, whispering encouraging sentiments and holding him tight. She rocked him gently until they slipped into a mournful sleep.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

Violet awoke as if from a nightmare, gasping loudly, squeezing Liam tightly to comfort herself. She looked down and her heart broke all over again. This wasn't Liam. Liam was dead. The reality kept crashing down on her and she felt the pain of his loss wash over her every time she thought of him. Her sweet Liam.

The smoker in her arms didn't awaken, instead whimpering pitifully in his sleep. Violet briefly wondered if he was dreaming. What was he dreaming about? As she disentangled herself Violet pulled back in horror. Stuck to her shoulder was Ryder's main mutated tongue, no longer attached to him. She threw it off herself with a gag, completely repulsed. She let out a few dry heaves before composing herself.

Ryder, in turn, just curled in a ball; seeking the warmth and comfort he had just lost. He coughed fiercely and Violet was surprised at the absence of smoke. Wanting to examine him more thoroughly she roused him. Then she helped him hobble to the couch.

She was very pleased to see the large tumors on the side of his face had shrunk considerably, and it almost appeared...

Without giving him any warning, she reached out and pulled on one of his tongue-like appendages. Just as she expected, it pulled right off with little force. She wrinkled her nose in disgust as Ryder made another pitiful noise. He looked like hell, despite the physical improvement. His head lolled like it was too heavy for him. The normally alert smoker wasn't even attempting to sign at her. He just lay limp.

Violet went to the kitchen to fetch him some water. The physical changes were astounding and the progress was giving Violet hope that the cure was effective. A ghost of a smile crossed her face. She turned from the sink and came face to face with Liam. She gasped and dropped the glass of water. It shattered. She blinked, and he was gone.

She stared at the spot she had seen his handsome face. She knelt down to pick up the pieces of glass. She was scooping up the larger chunks when she heard Liam whisper "Careful Vi!"

She clenched her hands and let out a soft scream as sharp glass sliced into her palm. She whipped her head around but saw nothing. Violet shook her head and deposited the shards into the garbage can.

She carefully examined her hand, relieved no glass was lodged in her hand. The cuts weren't deep but the cause of this mishap cut her to the soul. Liam. Her Liam. She shuddered.

She wasn't able to dwell much longer. When she came back into the living room Ryder appeared to be having some sort of seizure. She froze, unsure of what to do. He was thrashing and screaming a haunting, wordless howl of pure agony. Cautiously she approached the couch. Vincent was at the edge of couch, examining the smoker curiously.

The young man that locked eyes with her was no monster. He was a terrified and agonized person with no one to comfort him. No one but her. She went to sit next to him when he started vomiting violently. A greenish black liquid, with an incredibly foul odor hit Violet on the neck and chest. She just looked to the sky in dismay and disgust. Was she destined to never be clean? Ever?

She stripped off her clothes, and proceeded to help Ryder out of his. Luckily, he had missed the couch and had only hit the floor and coffee table. She wiped up what she could with her shirt, vaguely aware she was having an underwear party with a few very sick zombies. Things like this didn't phase her all that much anymore.

By the time she returned with a rag and bucket to finish the clean up, Ryder was asleep again. She gently washed him up and covered him with the small afghan that had adorned the back of the sofa. She washed up the floor and table, scrubbing on her hands and knees.

Violet only paused in her efforts briefly when she heard a familiar whisper. She didn't even turn her head.

"Hey pretty lady"

"Hi Liam." Was her whispered reply.

Their conversation was cut short by another awful scream. Violet ran into the living room and immediately looked to Ryder, but he wasn't screaming. Hayley was. She was thrashing around on the floor and wailing, while Vincent circled nervously. He looked up at Violet and whined. Violet knelt by the agonized hunter and pet her blond hair that had spilled out when she pulled her hood back.

"Shhhh. Hayley, baby, it's okay. Brennen is here with you. Shhh." She soothed, stroking her feverish cheek. She used Vincent's real name, hoping that it would mean something to the girl. The wails faded to soft cries and Vincent sat near them awkwardly. He pulled Hayley to him, a little too roughly. She wailed in protest and he licked her cheek apologetically before he settled around her and began to purr.

Violet walked into the bathroom and looked into the mirror in front of her. She saw sunken green eyes, patchy hair and sliced up collar bones where the hunter had dug into her. She couldn't remember the last time she had eaten. She felt like she hadn't slept in days. She kept hoping to see Liam. She could hear him whispering. Sometimes, so quietly that she couldn't understand what he said. It didn't matter. He was with her. She only wished she could touch him.

Ryder coughed loudly and she blinked. She swiftly walked out of the bathroom and was at the smokers side quickly. Much had changed, even in the few days after the cure had been administered to him. He looked like a man. Gone were the extra appendages and the boils. Instead he was left with pale skin and plenty of scars. Smoke had ceased coming from deep within him. His fever was as high as ever, but no one could deny he was doing better. Hopefully the cure would help him before it killed him.

Days passed and Hayley was making similar progress, though little had changed about her physically. Vincent had made the most progress of them all. His skin was beginning to return to a very human shade of pink and his beautiful eyes had completely cleared, returning to a crystalline blue.

Ryder looked up at Violet with startled eyes and gasped out "Waa errr"

Violet could have fainted in delight. Words. Broken barely there but speech. Humans spoke, zombies did not! She quickly retrieved a glass of water which he gulped down quickly, pausing to sputter briefly. He looked up and quickly drew back.

Violet was mere inches from his face beaming like she never had. He was getting better. Soon they would be able to go out and find her daughter! She patted his hand sweetly and continued to grin maniacally. He stared in unease. She backed away slowly but the feelings of elation didn't dissipate. She brought the glass back to the kitchen. The smile didn't even leave her face when she heard a familiar voice.

"Why aren't you looking for her yet Vi?"

She shook her head. But the voice didn't go away. "How long has she been gone Violet? You're choosing to stick around with some kid you don't know and two hunters instead of finding our daughter? Did your family mean so little to you? What kind of monster are you?"

She whipped around, and faltered when his brown eyes bore into hers. She couldn't speak. She just reached out a hand and was horrified when he stepped back. She choked out "You're dead. Go away"

An impish smile lit up his visage before he vanished with a chuckle. She shuddered, knowing she was losing her mind. She needed to tend to Hayley. The young woman wasn't recovering as quickly as Violet would have liked, and her fever was incredibly high.

Violet grabbed the tylenol and sighed. Their medical supplies were dwindling. She brought two tablets and a fresh glass of water to the sick young woman, rubbing her throat until the pills went down. Violet was delighted to see that Hayley's gum line was returning to where it was supposed to be. Any small amount of progress felt like a huge achievement.

Vincent never left his mates side. He was reverting back to more human habits, as he sat cross legged by Hayley, holding her hand gently. He had yet to speak.

Ryder began to cough, his arms wrapped around himself. Violet quickly walked to him and patted his back gently. After he was done coughing he gave her a weak smile and patted the couch next to him. She sat and asked "Are you okay? Do you need anything?" He shook his head.

"Slll-eeeep." He told her experimentally. "Slleep."

"Sleep? Go ahead. Very good with your words." She told him, patting his arm.

"Yah ooo sllleep." He said, wrapping his arms around her. She stiffened but he didn't release her. She tried to pull away. "Shhhh. Slleeeep." He insisted. She didn't have enough energy to fight, so she relaxed and slipped into a dreamless sleep.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

It was another week before Hayley was in any shape to move about her own. Vincent had taken to walking around on on two legs like he was meant to. He would help Hayley walk around, guarding over her always. She seemed more frightened, than ill. Like Vincent, her skin had returned to a more healthy, natural shade. Her remaining eye was bright and clear. She wore her hood inside still. Vincent did not, but Violet suspected there was vanity behind Hayley's deviation of the healing process. Whenever Vincent pulled back her hood to nuzzle her cheek, as he did often, her hand would fly up to cover the marred side of her face.

Ryder's speech was improving quickly, but he seemed to prefer to write his thoughts down. He and Violet spent many hours formulating a plan to search for Estelle. Hayley was making a great deal of progress with her speech as well, while Vincent had yet to say a word. He would nod or shake his head, but that was the extent of his communications. On occasion he would make a grumble in his throat to Hayley, but he was usually silent.

Days passed, and Violet decided that they were ready to go out looking for Estelle. Hayley wasn't fully recovered, but Violet didn't care. She and Ryder were walking and using short sentences when necessary. That was enough for her to insist they all start out and look for the baby. They weren't thrilled with being on the move, but she just didn't care.

They were cutting through the woods quickly, in too much of a hurry to be quiet. They hadn't come across any infected yet, but Violet was sure they were being tracked. She was watchful, but never saw anything. She wasn't sure if this was a testament to the infecteds stealth skills or her own paranoia. She just kept scanning their surroundings, suddenly missing Hayley and Vincent's enhanced senses from the infection.

About four hours into their journey, they stopped to rest. She gave Ryder and Hayley some Tylenol to bring down any lingering fever they might have. They fell asleep almost immediately and looked so exhausted that Violet just didn't have it in her to wake them. Vincent just stared at her with those blue eyes. She was unaccustomed to this strange guilty feeling that kept creeping up on her. She knew they were still a bit sick, but she needed to find Estelle.

While she was lost in thought, she wandered off into the woods and she failed to keep an eye out for danger. The predator that had been stalking them for hours chose that moment to strike. She didn't even hear him until he was on top of her. She stared at her wild eyed attacker in horror, as she realized he wasn't infected. He held a knife to her throat and giggled hysterically. She almost cursed aloud when she realized that her backpack, containing all her weapons, was laying next to Ryder.

"Well looky here. Pretty girl all by herself, her buddies uh sleepin. What choo got fo me girl? You got supplies? Food? You sho got a lot to offer a man don't choo?" He leered at her, licking his lips.

As he spoke, he ran his knife along her face, pushing her hair away from her face. Her stomach turned as his hands drifted lower. She stayed absolutely still, knowing that angering him could result in her death. She needed to get to Estelle. Slowly, she moved her arm out from under her. He looked up to grin at her with rotted teeth and she snapped her hand forward, smashing his nose with the heel of her hand. "Eat that asshole!" She snapped.

He drew back with an outraged howl and she used the opportunity to pull her legs back and kicked him off of her. She quickly scrambled to her feet and realized she was unarmed. Blood flowed down his face from his nose, but he just grinned maniacally at her. She put her arms up in a defensive position and they moved in an uneasy circle. She kept an eye on his knife at all times.

"Why you lil bitch, think you done broke muh nose!" He cackled out, before lunging at her.

She watched his shoulder jump, and immediately dodged to the left, countering by kicking him in the arm, effectively disarming him. He immediately swung on her and grabbed her leg.

He not only took her off her feet he threw her a good distance. She smacked into a tree and tried to catch the breath that had been knocked out of her. He advanced on her, lifted her by her hair and smacked her across the face, splitting her lip. She kicked at him but he held her at arms length. Taking a deep breath she reached up and dug her nails into his upper arms. She felt her nails break the skin and he bellowed like a wounded bull. She crawled backwards as fast as she could, barely avoiding the vicious kick aimed at her face.

She looked around wildly for anything to defend herself. Twigs and dead leaves were all she saw. She felt real terror. He was advancing quickly and she couldn't get to her feet. This was going to hurt. Badly. She looked up in fear and could have wept.

Ryder loomed up behind her attacker and easily lifted him from the ground by his neck. In one smooth motion, he snapped the vile mans neck. He tossed the body to the side and scooped Violet up. She shook in his arms, clutching at his black sweatshirt, as if to assure herself he was really there. She didn't cry. She couldn't. She just trembled. He placed her down onto unsteady legs but kept an arm around her waist. She took a few shaky steps before composing herself. Vincent and Hayley arrived a moment later, looking startled. She sent them a weak smile.

They trudged on, more wary, but just as quickly. Ryder was reluctant to let her get too far from him, and kept grunting "You okay?" No matter how many times she assured him she was, he kept asking.

They soon reached a large clearing. She wasn't sure how to describe what she saw in the clearing. She stood, staring in amazement before Ryder grunted "Refugee Camp".

She nodded her agreement. A perimeter of wooden posts and barbed wire surrounded ramshackle buildings and tents, with a large portion fenced off by pieces of chain link fence cobbled together and enforced with more razor wire. She briefly wondered why that single part was fenced in twice, but she dismissed the thought. She hadn't been prepared to go up against an entire commune, but she quickly steeled herself for the upcoming fight. She would get to Estelle. She wouldn't let the monsters who took Liam from her take her daughter too. They wouldn't get away with it. She would die first. They would die.

She spent hours observing the small patrol that swept around the camp. At any given time there were as many as six men, but never less than four, guarding the perimeter. They went around for about fifteen minutes then stood at the entrance. That left her with a thirty minute window to slip in, and find Estelle.

She caught a break when a group of four men decided they weren't wasting their time going around the perimeter again. She watched them elbowing each other and goofing around. She thought she hear Liam's voice again and shook her head violently. She couldn't fall apart now. She went to whisper to Ryder, but he and Vincent had vanished. She let out an agitated hiss and unsheathed her large hunting knife. Hayley looked at her, waiting for instructions. She pointed towards the compound. She crouched down and slipped towards the fence. She was looking for a weak spot where she could slip in. Hayley followed close behind.

She found what she was looking for when she spotted part of the fence held together by plastic zip ties. It was right by the section that was double fenced. She didn't see any people though, so she cut the zip ties and slipped in. She hoped no one heard the the small racket she made. She quickly ducked behind a shoddy building and caught her bearings.

She was completely unprepared to hear the small voice behind her say "Hello". She whipped around, knife at the ready to peer into the largest brown eyes she had ever seen. Those eyes belonged to a young girl with a mop of brown curls and a pale face. She lowered her knife and held her finger to her lips, urging the child to be quiet.

The child however, had other plans. "Are you here to get us out? Do you have water? I'm hungry. My name is Marie. Who are you? You're pretty but your hair is ugly. Who is your friend? Can you get us out?" She prattled at Violet happily.

Violet froze before asking "What do you mean? Can't you get out? Or won't your mom let you leave?"

The little girl frowned. "My mom is one of sick. Daddy wants to leave but the bad men won't let us. They took all our stuff."

Violet frowned. The Purists were holding this little girl and her father hostage? "Who else is there with you? Is there a baby?" She questioned urgently.

Marie nodded enthusiastically. "There's lots of babies. A few kids like me but most of em are big and don't wanna play with me. The grown ups never wanna play. I think it's cuz we are always hungry and thirsty. Daddy always gives me half his water though. So he's extra thirsty. The men with the guns took all our food and water."

Violet was aghast. These people were prisoners. "Marie, quickly go get your daddy, but you mustn't let the bad men know I'm here. I'm going to get you out. Okay. Quickly but hush!" She commanded. The child scampered off and the next few minutes were torture. Hayley shifted from one foot to the other, anxiously. When they saw the child returning with a man, Viole let out a sigh of relief.

The man looked at her curiously with his sunken eyes. He looked terrible. They were all a bit thinner, but this man was gaunt. Violet was disgusted. The Purists were keeping people caged like animals, then starving them.

"How many people are in there?" She asked him.

He hesitated before answering "Almost sixty. They offered sanctuary and protection so many of us headed there. Then we were forced to surrender our weapons and supplies. They locked us up like cattle in here. Everyone is hungry. Some of us are sick, we need to get outta here."

Violet shook her head. Sixty people? How was she going to get sixty people out with no one noticing? "Is there a baby in there? Blond hair, blue eyes?" She asked, her focus back again.

"That's the baby that growls! Miss Emmy watches her!" Marie piped up.

"Elle!" Hayley breathed softly. That reminded Violet that she wasn't the only one who loved the young girl.

Violet smiled. Her growling baby. "That's my daughter. I'm taking her back. And we're getting all of you out of here. How many Purists are there?"

"About twenty-five or so. They're all really well armed. Most of us are people with kids, we can't fight them." Marie's father sadly informed her.

Violet's eyes narrowed. "We can. Any able bodied men in there? I've got a few weapons and some friends out there in the woods somewhere."

He just nodded before slipping back into the camp quietly. He returned a few minutes later, with three more adults. Two men and a woman looked at her suspiciously. They, like Marie's father, were incredibly thin. She handed each of them a weapon, only keeping her hunting knife and machete for herself and Hayley. Hayley took the large knife all followed her out of the breached gate and into the cover of the trees.

Next to a large oak, Violet laid out their plan. They would immobilize the guards at the main gate and sneak in undetected, if possible. They would try to get everyone out without too much bloodshed. She and Marie's father would take on the four guards at the gate and would signal the others when the coast was clear.

They crept up to the gate, weapons at the ready, determined to get these poor people out of this camp. Violet wasn't sure how their mission had turned from a rescue mission to an all out liberation, but she was pleased it had. She had to admit, she felt a little badass.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

They crept closer and Violet was pleased with her new friends stealth. They were practically silent as they made their way towards the four guards stationed at the gate. When they were close enough he leapt forward and slit the closest guards throat. She gracefully charged into action, slamming her machete into the side of anothers head. The third guard met a knife to the windpipe and Violet squared up to take care of the fourth.

She froze midswing as she stared into all too familiar brown eyes. It couldn't possibly be. But it was. It was him, staring wide eyed, frozen in terror. Her Liam. She shook her head trying to clear it but nothing changed.

Her partner hissed her name. She stood stock still. He moved forward to take care of the problem himself and Violet was finally able to blink. She stared at the corpse on the ground. Shaggy blond hair, blue eyes staring up at her lifelessly. Not Liam. She shuddered and slipped into the camp after her new partner.

She had no time to calm her racing mind as they headed towards where the civilians were kept. She sent a silent prayer of thank to the heavens when she saw that it was unguarded. Apparently, the Purists weren't concerned about unarmed civilians causing trouble. That was a decision they would regret. Four down, twenty something more to go. Her eyes narrowed and she looked behind her to see Hayley crouched. The young woman looked almost like a hunter again, as she cocked her head to the side.

Her partner rushed ahead, getting the others ready to go and Violet stood uneasily, keeping watch. She wasn't sure how long they had until the guards out front were discovered. She started to feel panicky. They weren't going to get all these people out in time. Hayley seemed to share this opinion, as she began to grumble to herself, looking behind them anxiously.

She was, of course, entirely correct. She heard shouting and knew the guards had been found. She didn't notice when her mind went quiet. Her body started to move as if an invisible hand moved her strings. She snapped orders to the people she had armed. These people were getting out of here, and they would kill anyone who stood in their way.

She drew her machete and waited for the first wave of Purists to find her and Hayley. She cut an impressive figure, a thin beautiful woman, hair whipping in the wind brandishing a blade as thick as her arm. She was vaguely aware of the people scrambling behind her, unaware that a few had formed a haphazard defensive line behind her.

A group of three purists stumbled upon them and Violet was amazed to see them go down before she could blink. She turned her head to see a rather grim teenage boy standing next to her with her pistol in hand. A few civilians scrambled forward to relieve the corpses of their weapons. Suddenly the odds didn't seem so poor.

With a loud whoop she raised her machete in the air. The small rag tag group of armed people behind her answered her with a combined roar. She looked behind her to see their numbers had grown. She charged forward with another yell and took off in search of more Purists.

It didn't take them long to find the Purists. Violet quickly scanned the area and noted with surprise that the whole camp appeared to be on fire. The Purists were running around madly, disorganized and scared. Violet watched in amazement as a hunter lept from behind a burning building and pounced on the closest Purist. His screams were cut short as the hunter ripped out his throat, shrieking its triumph.

"There are specials everywhere!" A woman behind Violet gasped. She was correct. Violet cursed noisily. This wasn't going to help. Hayley looked curious, as if she were listening to the screams of the infected.

"Stay sharp! Everything and anyone wants to kill you tonight" A man barked behind her. They continued their run across the camp, dispersing any Purists they came across. Violet briefly observed a very tall, very familiar shadow behind a building, right before the building started to glow and flicker.

Violet turned to the civilians behind her and looked for a leader. A tall black man stepped forward and inquired with an impressive baritone "How can we help you ma'am?" Hayley let out a strange cry, and it was returned, echoing all around them. The civilians looked a little uneasy, but said nothing.

Violet was surprised, but shook it off. "Start leading your group out. It's important you stay together! If you separate the specials will pick you off. There's five or six purists left at best. They're no match for you but we don't need unnecessary death. I need your help specifically in locating my daughter. She has blond hair and blue eyes. She growls." She explained.

The man broke into a small smile. "My wife has been caring for her since she first arrived. You did all this to get her back?"

Violet nodded grimly. He raised his eyebrows and smiled again. "Good heavens above girl. That baby is a lucky girl."

He quickly disappeared into the night and the rest of the civilians followed suit, save for a teenage girl she had failed to notice earlier. She just stared at her. She ignored her for a while, then sighed irritably.

"What's your story kid?" She asked.

"My name is Evie. I'm nineteen. My family is all dead. They died while we were still in Texas. I was hoping I could tag along with you and your daughter. I don't really have anywhere else to go. I don't want to be alone anymore." The girl admitted, hanging her head.

Violet looked her over. Tall and lanky, she had a mop of brown hair on her head, with bangs she had to keep flipping out of her blue eyes. Violet was reminded of a thin sheepdog. She wasn't much in the way of physique, but she stood at her full height and didn't stumble over her words. She couldn't very well leave the girl all alone.

"You're more than welcome to tag along Evie. My name's Violet. You'll meet Estelle soon. Just keep up and do your share of the work." She gave the beaming girl a stern look. "Because if you mess around, I will leave you behind." Evie nodded with wide eyes.

The man Violet had spoken to earlier arrived quickly, a beautiful woman in tow. Violet didn't care about the woman though. In her arms, rested Violets world. She swooped in closer and barely contained herself from snatching Estelle up and running off into the night. Instead, she very gingerly scooped the chubby girl into her arms. She was rewarded with a happy sigh and a small head resting against her cheek. The flood of happiness and warmth that hit Violet didn't even faze her. She just rolled with it.

She reluctantly handed Estelle to Evie, and they made their way through the camp. The civilians had successfully eliminated their captors, and were containing a group of seven that hadn't been killed. The infected had disappeared into the night. Hayley hadn't made another sound, but was looking around curiously.

Violet scanned the group for Vincent and a lump formed in her throat when she didn't see him. She watched as Marie's father and the gentleman whose wife had cared for Estelle took control of the situation, organizing the survivors and helping guide the children to safety. She heard one man exclaim happily that the only buildings that hadn't been damaged contained the food, water and weapons. She smirked into the woods. She couldn't see the tall man responsible for the fires but she had no doubt that it had been him.

These people were safe now. She motioned to Evie, and they made their way back towards the cabin. She would need to scavenge for more baby supplies but for now, having the baby with her was enough. They were halfway to the cabin when Ryder caught up with them. Vincent was a few paces behind and was struggling with something hung around his neck. Something large.

Violet stopped cold when she realized Vincent was carrying a person over his shoulders awkwardly. She moved closer and let out a soft sob. Vincent just looked at her passively. She blinked a few times before she continued on their march to the cabin.

They arrived soon enough and Violet did a quick walk through of the cabin before relieving Evie of the baby and took her up to the bedroom they had all shared. She lay the sleeping baby down and headed to the door. But she hesitated at the doorway. She lingered there, until Evie came up looking for her.

"Violet?"'The girl questioned softly. "Ryder set me up in the room down the hall. He put that, um, dude on the couch."

Violet forced a smile and said "Good, thank you. Lets rest up for the night and talk more in the morning."

Evie nodded and bounced away. Violet was surprised to see that Ryder had chosen Anna's room for her. She and Anna were about the same size, maybe Anna's belongings could be utilized. She watched as the young man stood in his doorway, watching the young woman. He caught her eyes and gave her a soft smile. She returned it.

Violet padded softly down the stairs, to stare at the man on the couch. Save for the bandage around his neck, he looked just as she remembered. She reached out and placed her hand on his cheek. Just a ghost of a whisper of her fingers brushing him, but it was enough. Liam was here. Liam was alive.

Vincent moved into the light, and she noticed immediately that his sweatshirt and jeans were singed. It looked like he had moved through one of the burning buildings. She looked down at Liam and realized that he was also looking a little singed.

"Vincent-" She croaked out. She threw her arms around the newly healed man. "Thank you." He gave her a slow nod. He made his way back to Kaydens old room to be with Hayley.

Violet carefully navigated the stairs, avoiding the spots that would creak. As she got to the landing she turned to go to her room and collided with Ryder. He looked down with a small smile and wrapped his arms around her. She stiffened, then melted into his embrace, letting a tear slip. He held her for a moment before releasing her and returning to his room. Violet followed suit. She slipped into bed, completely exhausted but so happy. The soft even breathing of the young girl next to her lulled her into a peaceful sleep.

Downstairs, in Kaydens old room, Vincent removed Hayley's hood. She covered the side of her face and tried pull away from him. He held her against him and stroked her hair. He laid a very careful kiss to her temple and she whimpered.

"Brennan." She said, a soft smile gracing her lips. He pulled her hand away from her face. "No." She whined.

"Love you." He grunted out. She looked surprised to hear him speak. "Love you Lee." He repeated, more sure of himself.

"Love you Bren." She said, she flinched away from his gaze. He tilted her chin up and kissed the angry scars that covered the right side of her face. She sighed, sounding relieved.

"Love you Lee. Beautiful." He whispered. She clung to him and nuzzled his chest.

"Tired Bren." She whispered. He nodded and they lay down. She didn't pull her hood up.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

She slept soundly for the first time in weeks. She woke to chubby fingers wound happily in her hair, and quiet steady babbling. Violet began to smile before she even opened her eyes. She swiftly rolled Estelle onto her back and delivered a series of raspberries to her tummy that set the baby into hysterics. They continued their game until Violet heard someone clear their throat.

She looked up and her heart dropped. Liam stood in the doorway shuffling his feet anxiously. He stared at her, almost fearfully. "Hi." She whispered. She rose quickly and made quick work of the distance between them. He flinched as she enveloped him into her arms. He stiffened briefly, but returned her tight embrace.

He smelled different. Like smoke and cheap soap. She didn't like it. He didn't smell like himself. She pulled away and scrutinized him. The bandages around his neck were a mess. They would need to be taken care of. She silently grabbed his hand and led him to the bathroom.

She carefully removed the bandages wordlessly. Liam didn't say anything, just stared at her with his brown eyes. He didn't flinch away from her, even though she knew he must be hurting. She was as gentle as she could be as she cleaned the wound on his neck. Someone had stitched it up, but had been really bad at it. It was going to leave one hell of a scar. After she redressed his wound, she asked if he felt okay. He nodded.

"Can you speak?" She asked. He shook his head, lowering his eyes to the floor. "That's okay. We'll go downstairs and you can write for me."

He sat at the kitchen table and she waited impatiently for him to complete his note. He handed her the full piece of paper.

"They snuck up on me and cut my neck. I went down quick. Couldn't warn anyone. Watched them march past until I passed out. I woke up to some girl rummaging around my pockets. She freaked right out when I grabbed her arm. I guess I'm lucky she didn't finish me off. She was on her way to some safe haven and she was the only one left in her group. She helped me get to that camp. They cleaned me up and asked me how I got to them. I was in the medical tent. It was on fire and I was trapped. Vincent came in and carried me out."

Violets mouth formed a grim line as she shook her head slowly. "Ryder and I came back and everyone was dead and Estelle was GONE. You were- you were dead. Ryder put your bodies in the woods."

"He DISPOSED of me?!" Liam wrote quickly, holding up the notebook.

Violet drew back. "He was trying to help me. You were... Your throat was slit! You looked pretty dead. What were we supposed to do? Hold a funeral?" She snapped back. She felt terrible when

He just looked at her sadly. "Why did it take so long for you to find us?" He wrote.

"Anna had the cure all figured out. She had samples of it ready. Ryder asked me to use it on him. It was a pretty rough process. It took a while. But he's cured. He's healthy again. We can save everyone."

Liam's eyes widened as the realization of just how profound this was hit him. "Hayley and Vincent?" He wrote carefully. She knew what he meant.

"They're cured too. Vincent was cured when he carried you home past night. Anna didn't get to live to see her son cured but he has fought through it all and will carry on to honor his family. We will find a scientist that can help us. We have Anna's notes and the other ten vials of cure. That's only enough to cure 30 people but that's a start isn't it? We can give 30 people their lives back." Violet explained excitedly.

Liam had nothing to say. He just walked past Violet and scooped up Estelle. He held her close as Violet briefly beamed and pranced out of the room. She knocked on on Ryder's door and was rather surprised to see Evie answer the door.

"Oh hello. I um, was just asking Ryder some questions. He's uh, interesting. I didn't think the infected could be cured. He said his mom made a cure. Is that um, right?" She blurted out before Violet could say anything.

Violet just nodded. "Is Ryder around? I'm on the look out for some baby supplies and could use his navigational skills. You're welcome to join us." She said.

Ryder walked up behind Evie, and Violet was surprised to see that he was shirtless. He wore nothing but a pair of basketball shorts and his scars. As her eyes roved his half naked body, she realized that he wasn't a bad looking kid. His scars were unique and his face was pretty well scarred on the half that had been covered in tumors, but he had pretty blue eyes now that the yellow had faded along with the infection. She looked up and saw him smirking at her from behind fringed bangs. Even his hair screamed cute. She scowled at him, knowing that he knew that she knew. She rolled her eyes and motioned for him to follow her. He grinned and retreated to his room, before he returned wearing a shirt.

The three of them stood on the porch before Ryder smirked at Violet and scooped up a very startled Evie and took off running, his long legs giving him an unfair advantage. Violet sprinted after them, smiling as she heard Evies delighted screams. She caught up to him quickly, much to his surprise. He slowed to a jog before stopping completely and setting Evie down. She swatted him on the arm, but looked so pleased that Violet had to laugh.

The group walked a little ways before Violet questioned Ryder on where they were going. He smirked and grunted out "Barn."

"Did you say barn? What do you mean barn?" Evie chirped, looking around.

Ryder didn't reply, just kept walking. Evie looked to Violet who could only shrug. They followed Ryder for about five minutes before they came to a clearing.

"It's actually a barn." Violet stated flatly. And it was. A large red barn with white trim. Way too adorable to be real. But here it was. Ryder approached it without hesitation, Violet was a different story.

She drew her machete and motioned for Evie to stay behind her. Ryder had already disappeared into the barn. Evie let out an irritated hiss.

"He should be more careful!"

Violet let out a huffy "Ha."

When they finally crept into the barn Violet let out a loud string of profanity that completely ruined any stealth they had hoped to have.

Inside the barn Ryder was feeding two horses. Evie squealed in delight and raced to Ryder's side. She giggled happily when Ryder lifted her onto the back of one of the horses. "I've never been on a horse before. I know, I'm from Texas. But I came from the city. I've never worn cowboy boots either."

Violet was fixated on the muddy jeep by the back wall of the barn. Ryder followed her gaze and chuckled.

"Keys are in the visor." He said, his voice gravelly, but clear. "You look good Evie." He told the thin girl.

"Thanks Ryder." She whispered. He lifted her off the horse, but didn't release her waist. He dipped his head down and kissed her. She stared up at him with a huge grin and giggled. He pushed her hair out of her eyes and kissed the tip of her nose.

"Oh enough you two. We have to get back to the house." Violet said, rolling her eyes. Evie turned pink, but Ryder just smirked. He wrapped his arm around Evie and lead her out of the barn.

In the house, Hayley was holding Estelle on the couch. Her hood was back and the baby was latched onto the silvery blond hair. She was growling at Hayley and Hayley was growling back. Vincent was was behind the couch, hovering over Hayley as usual.

"Where is Liam?" Violet asked.

"Kitchen." Vincent grunted. Violet stared at him. His blue eyes met hers calmly. His features had softened significantly, but he still looked predatory in some ways. His teeth were still much more pointed than a normal persons, and his hands still sported sharp claws. She noted that he and Hayley had blunted them somehow.

She moved into the kitchen and found Liam staring out the window. She knew that fall was coming as she came up behind him, and spotted the leaves on some of the trees already starting to change color. She wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her head against his shoulder blades. He didn't react, just continued to stare out the window.

"I'm glad you're home." She whispered. He turned around and looked at her with sadness clear on his face. "What's wrong?" She asked, her green eyes filled with concern. He cupped her chin in his hand and kissed her forehead. He walked over to the notebook and scrawled something quickly.

"I thought you were dead."

Violets shoulders slumped. "I was sure you were dead. I... Saw you." She choked out. He kissed her then. The world melted away as he held her close. When he pulled back, she whispered "I love you." He mouthed the words back to her with a smile.


End file.
